Simultaneous Single Crystal Formation Patents (Class 438/489)
  • Patent number: 9041109
    Abstract: At least one doped semiconductor material region is formed over a crystalline insulator layer. A disposable gate structure and a planarization dielectric layer laterally surrounding the disposable gate structure are formed over the at least one doped semiconductor material region. The disposable gate structure is removed selective to the planarization dielectric layer to form a gate cavity. Portions of the at least one doped semiconductor material region are removed from underneath the gate cavity. Remaining portions of the at least one doped semiconductor material region constitute a source region and a drain region. A channel region is epitaxially grown from a physically exposed surface of the crystalline insulator layer. The channel region has a uniform thickness that can be less than the thickness of the source region and the drain region, and is epitaxially aligned to the crystalline insulator layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anirban Basu, Pouya Hashemi, Ali Khakifirooz
  • Patent number: 9040957
    Abstract: According to example embodiments, a field effect transistor includes a graphene channel layer on a substrate. The graphene channel layer defines a slit. A source electrode and a drain electrode are spaced apart from each other and arranged to apply voltages to the graphene channel layer. A gate insulation layer is between the graphene channel layer and a gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY R&DB FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Jae-ho Lee, Seong-jun Park, Kyung-eun Byun, David Seo, Hyun-jae Song, Hyung-cheol Shin, Jae-hong Lee, Hyun-jong Chung, Jin-seong Heo
  • Patent number: 9034738
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a light-emitting diode, which includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a plurality of protruded portions on one main surface thereof wherein the protruded portion is made of a material different in type from that of the substrate and growing a first nitride-based III-V Group compound semiconductor layer on each recess portion of the substrate through a state of making a triangle in section wherein a bottom surface of the recess portion becomes a base of the triangle; laterally growing a second nitride-based III-V Group compound semiconductor layer on the substrate from the first nitride-based III-V Group compound semiconductor layer; and successively growing, on the second nitride-based III-V Group compound semiconductor layer, a third nitride-based III-V Group compound semiconductor layer of a first conduction type, an active layer, and a fourth nitride-based III-V compound semiconductor layer of a second conduction type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Ohmae, Michinori Shiomi, Noriyuki Futagawa, Takaaki Ami, Takao Miyajima, Yuuji Hiramatsu, Izuho Hatada, Nobukata Okano, Shigetaka Tomiya, Katsunori Yanashima, Tomonori Hino, Hironobu Narui
  • Patent number: 9007206
    Abstract: A patch panel is provided including a patch panel frame, an indicator module connected to the patch panel frame, a microcontroller unit (MCU), a connector connected to the patch panel frame and a detection device for detecting a connection state at the connector. A circuit board interface is provided with a communication path between the indicator module and the MCU and between the detection device and the MCU. A communication unit is connected to the circuit board interface. The communication unit conveys signals between any one of patch panels of a group, between groups of patch panels, between the patch panel and a control unit and between the group of patch panels and the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Surtec Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Chou-Hsin Chen
  • Patent number: 8969183
    Abstract: Method for making thin crystalline or polycrystalline layers. The method includes electrochemically etching a crystalline silicon template to form a porous double layer thereon, the double layer including a highly porous deeper layer and a less porous shallower layer. The shallower layer is irradiated with a short laser pulse selected to recrystallize the shallower layer resulting in a crystalline layer. Silicon is deposited on the recrystallized shallower layer and the silicon is irradiated with a short laser pulse selected to crystalize the silicon leaving a layer of crystallized silicon on the template. Thereafter, the layer of crystallized silicon is separated from the template. The process of the invention can be used to make optoelectronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignees: President and Fellows of Harvard College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Mark T. Winkler, Tonio Buonassisi, Riley E. Brandt, Michael J. Aziz, Austin Joseph Akey
  • Patent number: 8969150
    Abstract: A trench gate type MISFET and a diode are formed in a semiconductor substrate. First and second trenches are formed in the semiconductor substrate. A gate electrode is formed in the first trench through a gate insulating film. A dummy gate electrode is formed in the second trench through a dummy gate insulating film. A cathode n+-type semiconductor region and an anode p-type semiconductor region are formed in the semiconductor substrate and the second trench is formed so as to surround the n+-type semiconductor region in a planar view. A part of the anode p-type semiconductor region is formed directly below the n+-type semiconductor region, so that a PN junction is formed between the part of the anode p-type semiconductor region and the n+-type semiconductor region. Thereby a diode is formed. The dummy gate electrode is electrically coupled to one of an anode and a cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Katou, Taro Moriya, Hiroyoshi Kudou, Satoshi Uchiya
  • Patent number: 8927398
    Abstract: A patterned substrate is provided having at least two mesa surface portions, and a recessed surface located beneath and positioned between the at least two mesa surface portions. A Group III nitride material is grown atop the mesa surface portions of the patterned substrate and atop the recessed surface. Growth of the Group III nitride material is continued merging the Group III nitride material that is grown atop the mesa surface portions. When the Group III nitride material located atop the mesa surface portions merge, the Group III nitride material growth on the recessed surface ceases. The merged Group III nitride material forms a first Group III nitride material structure, and the Group III nitride material formed in the recessed surface forms a second material structure. The first and second material structures are disjoined from each other and are separated by an air gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Can Bayram, Devendra K. Sadana, Kuen-Ting Shiu
  • Patent number: 8889532
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a vertical insulated-gate field effect transistor includes a shield electrode formed in trench structure within a semiconductor material. A gate electrode is isolated from the semiconductor material using gate insulating layers. Before the shield electrode is formed, spacer layers can be used form shield insulating layers along portions of the trench structure. The shield insulating layers are thicker than the gate insulating layers. In another embodiment, the shield insulating layers have variable thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Peter A. Burke, Gordon M. Grivna, Balaji Padmanabhan, Prasad Venkatraman
  • Patent number: 8871556
    Abstract: In a method for making a GaN article, an epitaxial nitride layer is deposited on a single-crystal substrate. A 3D nucleation GaN layer is grown on the epitaxial nitride layer by HVPE under a substantially 3D growth mode. A GaN transitional layer is grown on the 3D nucleation layer by HVPE under a condition that changes the growth mode from the substantially 3D growth mode to a substantially 2D growth mode. A bulk GaN layer is grown on the transitional layer by HVPE under the substantially 2D growth mode. A polycrystalline GaN layer is grown on the bulk GaN layer to form a GaN/substrate bi-layer. The GaN/substrate bi-layer may be cooled from the growth temperature to an ambient temperature, wherein GaN material cracks laterally and separates from the substrate, forming a free-standing article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Kyma Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Preble, Lianghong Liu, Andrew D. Hanser, N. Mark Williams, Xueping Xu
  • Patent number: 8846506
    Abstract: A multilayered structure is provided. The multilayered structure may include a silicon substrate and a film of gadolinium oxide disposed on the silicon substrate. The top surface of the silicon substrate may have silicon orientated in the 100 direction (Si(100)) and the gadolinium oxide disposed thereon may have an orientation in the 100 direction (Gd2O3(100)).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
    Inventors: Raphael Tsu, Wattaka Sitapura, John Hudak
  • Patent number: 8841206
    Abstract: A method of forming a polycrystalline silicon layer includes forming a first amorphous silicon layer and forming a second amorphous silicon layer such that the first amorphous silicon layer and the second amorphous silicon layer have different film qualities from each other, and crystallizing the first amorphous silicon layer and the second amorphous silicon layer using a metal catalyst to form a first polycrystalline silicon layer and a second polycrystalline silicon layer. A thin film transistor includes the polycrystalline silicon layer formed by the method and an organic light emitting device includes the thin film transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byoung-Keon Park, Jong-Ryuk Park, Yun-Mo Chung, Tak-Young Lee, Jin-Wook Seo, Ki-Yong Lee, Min-Jae Jeong, Yong-Duck Son, Byung-Soo So, Seung-Kyu Park, Dong-Hyun Lee, Kil-Won Lee, Jae-Wan Jung
  • Publication number: 20140264368
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer can include a substrate, a poly template layer, and a semiconductor layer. The substrate has a central region and an edge region, the poly template layer is disposed along a peripheral edge of the substrate, and a semiconductor layer over the central region, wherein the semiconductor layer is monocrystalline. In an embodiment, the poly template layer and the monocrystalline layer are laterally spaced apart from each other by an intermediate region. In another embodiment, the semiconductor layer can include aluminum. A process of forming the substrate can include forming a patterned poly template layer within the edge region and forming a semiconductor layer over the primary surface. Another process of forming the substrate can include forming a semiconductor layer over the primary surface and removing a portion of the semiconductor layer so that the semiconductor layer is spaced apart from an edge of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Hocine ZIAD, Peter MOENS, Eddy DE BACKER
  • Patent number: 8815718
    Abstract: A method for fabricating vertical surround gates in a semiconductor device array structure such that the processes are compatible with CMOS fabrication. The array structure includes a CMOS region and an array region. The method includes forming a polish stop layer, a plurality of patterning layers, a CMOS layer over a substrate, array pillars and array trenches. Forming the array pillars and trenches includes removing the CMOS cover layer and patterning layers. The method further includes doping portions of the substrate within the array trenches. The method includes forming vertical surround gates in the array trenches, an array filler layer to fill in the array trenches, and a CMOS photoresist pattern over the array filler layer. The method includes etching the CMOS trenches down through a portion of the substrate, such that the array pillars under the shared trench are etched to form contact holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chung H. Lam, Jing Li
  • Patent number: 8815717
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a vapor deposition method is disclosed for forming a nitride semiconductor layer on a substrate by supplying a group III source-material gas and a group V source-material gas. The method can deposit a first semiconductor layer including a nitride semiconductor having a compositional proportion of Al in group III elements of not less than 10 atomic percent by supplying the group III source-material gas from a first outlet and by supplying the group V source-material gas from a second outlet. The method can deposit a second semiconductor layer including a nitride semiconductor having a compositional proportion of Al in group III elements of less than 10 atomic percent by mixing the group III and group V source-material gases and supplying the mixed group III and group V source-material gases from at least one of the first outlet and the second outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Harada, Koichi Tachibana, Toshiki Hikosaka, Hajime Nago, Shinya Nunoue
  • Patent number: 8778782
    Abstract: A method for fabricating an electronic component, comprising providing a substrate; and depositing a graphene layer; wherein the substrate is either provided with a van-der-Waals functional layer or a van-der-Waals functional layer is deposited on the substrate before depositing the graphene layer; a surface step contour is formed; and growth of the graphene layer is seeded at the step contour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: IHP GmbH—Innovations for High Performance Microelectronics
    Inventors: Gunther Lippert, Jaroslaw Dabrowski, Grzegorz Lupina, Olaf Seifarth
  • Patent number: 8741413
    Abstract: A method and system of forming large-diameter SiC single crystals suitable for fabricating high crystal quality SiC substrates of 100, 125, 150 and 200 mm in diameter are described. The SiC single crystals are grown by a seeded sublimation technique in the presence of a shallow radial temperature gradient. During SiC sublimation growth, a flux of SiC bearing vapors filtered from carbon particulates is substantially restricted to a central area of the surface of the seed crystal by a separation plate disposed between the seed crystal and a source of the SiC bearing vapors. The separation plate includes a first, substantially vapor-permeable part surrounded by a second, substantially non vapor-permeable part. The grown crystals have a flat or slightly convex growth interface. Large-diameter SiC wafers fabricated from the grown crystals exhibit low lattice curvature and low densities of crystal defects, such as stacking faults, inclusions, micropipes and dislocations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: II-VI Incorporated
    Inventors: Ilya Zwieback, Thomas E. Anderson, Andrew E. Souzis, Gary E. Ruland, Avinash K. Gupta, Varatharajan Rengarajan, Ping Wu, Xueping Xu
  • Patent number: 8673751
    Abstract: A laser crystallization system and a method of manufacturing a display apparatus using the laser crystallization system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes i) a mother substrate in which first, second, and third display regions and ii) a stage for supporting the mother substrate and moving in first and second directions perpendicular to each other. The embodiment also includes i) a first laser irradiation unit for irradiating a first laser beam having a width greater than or identical to a width of a side of one of the first, second, and third display regions in the first direction and ii) a second laser irradiation unit spaced apart from the first laser irradiation unit and irradiating a second laser beam having a width greater than or identical to the width of the one side in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-Hwan Oh, Jae-Beom Choi, Won-Kyu Lee, Young-Jin Chang, Seong-Hyun Jin
  • Patent number: 8633483
    Abstract: An original wafer, typically silicon, has the form of a desired end PV wafer. The original may be made by rapid solidification or CVD. It has small grains. It is encapsulated in a clean thin film, which contains and protects the silicon when recrystallized to create a larger grain structure. The capsule can be made by heating a wafer in the presence of oxygen, or steam, resulting in silicon dioxide on the outer surface, typically 1-2 microns. Further heating creates a molten zone in space, through which the wafer travels, resulting in recrystallization with a larger grain size. The capsule contains the molten material during recrystallization, and protects against impurities. Recrystallization may be in air. Thermal transfer through backing plates minimizes stresses and defects. After recrystallization, the capsule is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Emanuel M. Sachs, James G. Serdy, Eerik T. Hantsoo
  • Patent number: 8603896
    Abstract: A method for transferring a monocrystalline semiconductor layer onto a support substrate by implanting species in a donor substrate; bonding the donor substrate to the support substrate; and fracturing the donor substrate to transfer the layer onto the support substrate; wherein a portion of the monocrystalline layer to be transferred is rendered amorphous, without disorganizing the crystal lattice of a second portion of the layer, with the portions being, respectively, a surface portion and a buried portion of the monocrystalline layer; and wherein the amorphous portion is recrystallized at a temperature below 500° C., with the crystal lattice of the second portion serving as a seed for recrystallization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Gweltaz Gaudin, Carlos Mazure
  • Patent number: 8546250
    Abstract: A vertically integrated semiconductor device includes multiple continuous single crystal silicon layers vertically separated from one another by a dielectric layer or layers. Semiconductor devices are disposed on an underlying single crystal silicon substrate and the continuous single crystal silicon layers. The individual devices are interconnected to one another using tungsten or doped polysilicon leads that extend through openings formed in the continuous single crystal silicon layers. The method for forming the structure includes forming a dielectric material over the single crystal silicon layer or substrate and forming an opening extending down to the surface of the single crystal silicon material to act as a seed layer. An epitaxial silicon growth process begins at the seed location and laterally overgrows the openings. Growth fronts from the various seed locations meet to form a continuous single crystal silicon layer which is then polished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Wafertech LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Piper
  • Patent number: 8507304
    Abstract: A method of depositing a high quality low defect single crystalline Group III-Nitride film. A patterned substrate having a plurality of features with inclined sidewalls separated by spaces is provided. A Group III-Nitride film is deposited by a hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) process over the patterned substrate. The HVPE deposition process forms a Group III-Nitride film having a first crystal orientation in the spaces between features and a second different crystal orientation on the inclined sidewalls. The first crystal orientation in the spaces subsequently overgrows the second crystal orientation on the sidewalls and in the process turns over and terminates treading dislocations formed in the first crystal orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Olga Kryliouk, Yuriy Melnik, Hidehiro Kojiri, Tetsuya Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8466015
    Abstract: A thin film transistor and a fabrication method thereof, in which one excimer laser annealing (ELA) makes a pixel portion and a driver portion different from each other in surface roughness and grain size. The thin film transistor includes: a substrate including a pixel portion and a driver portion; a first semiconductor layer disposed in the pixel portion and having a first surface roughness; and a second semiconductor layer disposed in the driver portion and having a second surface roughness smaller than the first surface roughness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hong-Ro Lee
  • Patent number: 8445358
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce the influence of a foreign substance adhering to a single crystalline semiconductor substrate and manufacture a semiconductor substrate with a high yield. Another object of the present invention is to manufacture, with a high yield, a semiconductor device which has stable characteristics. In the process of manufacturing a semiconductor substrate, when an embrittled region is to be formed in a single crystalline semiconductor substrate, the surface of the single crystalline semiconductor substrate is irradiated with hydrogen ions from oblique directions at multiple (at least two) different angles, thereby allowing the influence of a foreign substance adhering to the single crystalline semiconductor substrate to be reduced and allowing a semiconductor substrate including a uniform single crystalline semiconductor layer to be manufactured with a high yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keiichi Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 8367527
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a polycrystalline silicon thin that includes a metal layer forming operation of forming a metal layer on an insulating substrate, a first silicon layer forming operation of stacking a silicon layer on the metal layer formed in the metal layer forming operation, a first annealing operation of forming a silicide layer using by moving catalyst metal atoms from the metal layer to the silicon layer using an annealing process, a second silicon layer forming operation of stacking an amorphous silicon layer on the silicide layer, and a crystallization operation of crystallizing the amorphous silicon layer into crystalline silicon through the medium of particles of the silicide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Nokord Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Won Tae Lee, Han Sick Cho, Hyung Su Kim
  • Patent number: 8293545
    Abstract: Test structures including test trenches are used to define critical dimension of trenches in a via level of an integrated circuit to produce substantially the same depth. The trenches are formed at the periphery of the IC to serve as guard rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hai Cong, Yan Shan Li, Chun Hui Low, Yelehanka Ramachandramurthy Pradeep, Liang Choo Hsia
  • Patent number: 8258049
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a nanowire, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus including a nanowire and a semiconductor apparatus formed from the same are provided. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus may include forming a material layer pattern on a substrate, forming a first insulating layer on the material layer pattern, a first nanowire forming layer and a top insulating layer on the substrate, wherein a total depth of the first insulating layer and the first nanowire forming layer may be formed to be smaller than a depth of the material layer pattern, sequentially polishing the top insulating layer, the first nanowire forming layer and the first insulating layer so that the material layer pattern is exposed, exposing part of the first nanowire forming layer to form an exposed region and forming a single crystalline nanowire on an exposed region of the first nanowire forming layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hans S. Cho
  • Patent number: 8257999
    Abstract: A growth method is proposed for high quality zinc oxide comprising the following steps: (1) growing a gallium nitride layer on a sapphire substrate around a temperature of 1000° C.; (2) patterning a SiO2 mask into stripes oriented in the gallium nitride <1 100> or <11 20> direction; (3) growing epitaxial lateral overgrowth of (ELO) gallium nitride layers by controlling the facet planes via choosing the growth temperature and the reactor; (4) depositing zinc oxide films on facets ELO gallium nitride templates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Zinc oxide crystal of high quality with a reduced number of crystal defects can be grown on a gallium nitride template. This method can be used to fabricate zinc oxide films with low dislocation density lower than 104/cm?2, which will find important applications in future electronic and optoelectronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: National University of Singapore
    Inventors: Soo Jin Chua, Hailong Zhou, Jianyi Lin, Hui Pan
  • Patent number: 8236603
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure may include a polycrystalline substrate comprising a metal, the polycrystalline substrate having substantially randomly oriented grains, as well as a buffer layer disposed thereover. The buffer layer may comprise a plurality of islands having an average island spacing therebetween. A polycrystalline semiconductor layer is disposed over the buffer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignees: Solexant Corp., Rochester Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Leslie G. Fritzemeier, Ryne P. Raffaelle, Christopher Leitz
  • Patent number: 8236665
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. A barrier film is formed in a device separating structure, and the device separating structure is etched at a predetermined thickness to expose a semiconductor substrate. Then, a SEG film is grown to form an active region whose area is increased. As a result, a current driving power of a transistor located at a cell region and peripheral circuit regions is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Young Bog Kim
  • Patent number: 8138035
    Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit device that includes a plurality of multiple gate FinFETs (MuGFETs) is disclosed. Fins of different crystal orientations for PMOS and NMOS MuGFETs are formed through amorphization and crystal regrowth on a direct silicon bonded (DSB) hybrid orientation technology (HOT) substrate. PMOS MuGFET fins are formed with channels defined by fin sidewall surfaces having (110) crystal orientations. NMOS MuGFET fins are formed with channels defined by fin sidewall surfaces having (100) crystal orientations in a Manhattan layout with the sidewall channels of the different PMOS and NMOS MuGFETs aligned at 0° or 90° rotations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Weize Xiong, Cloves Rinn Cleavelin, Angelo Pinto, Rick L. Wise
  • Publication number: 20110237055
    Abstract: A stacked semiconductor device that is reliable by forming an insulating layer on a lower memory layer and by forming a single crystalline semiconductor in portions of the insulating layer. A method of manufacturing the stacked semiconductor device, including: providing a lower memory layer including a plurality of lower memory structures; forming an insulating layer on the lower memory layer; forming trenches by removing portions of the insulating layer; forming a preparatory semiconductor layer for filling the trenches; and forming a single crystalline semiconductor layer by phase-changing the preparatory semiconductor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventors: Yong-hoon Son, Si-Young Choi, Myoung-Bum Lee, Ki-Hyun Hwang, Seung-Jae Baik, Jeong Hee Han
  • Patent number: 8017426
    Abstract: A backside illuminated image sensor includes a sensor layer comprising photosensitive elements of the pixel array, an epitaxial layer formed on a frontside surface of the sensor layer, and a color filter array formed on a backside surface of the sensor layer. The epitaxial layer comprises polysilicon color filter array alignment marks formed in locations corresponding to respective color filter array alignment mark openings in the frontside surface of the sensor layer. The color filter array is aligned to the color filter array alignment marks of the epitaxial layer. The image sensor may be implemented in a digital camera or other type of digital imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Omnivision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick T. Brady
  • Publication number: 20110198590
    Abstract: In a method for making a GaN article, an epitaxial nitride layer is deposited on a single-crystal substrate. A 3D nucleation GaN layer is grown on the epitaxial nitride layer by HVPE under a substantially 3D growth mode. A GaN transitional layer is grown on the 3D nucleation layer by HVPE under a condition that changes the growth mode from the substantially 3D growth mode to a substantially 2D growth mode. A bulk GaN layer is grown on the transitional layer by HVPE under the substantially 2D growth mode. A polycrystalline GaN layer is grown on the bulk GaN layer to form a GaN/substrate bi-layer. The GaN/substrate bi-layer may be cooled from the growth temperature to an ambient temperature, wherein GaN material cracks laterally and separates from the substrate, forming a free-standing article.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Inventors: Edward A. Preble, Lianghong Liu, Andrew D. Hanser, N. Mark Williams, Xueping Xu
  • Patent number: 7998846
    Abstract: A semiconductor fabrication system and method are presented. A three dimensional multilayer integrated circuit fabrication method can include forming a first device layer and forming a second device layer on top of the first device layer with minimal detrimental heat transfer to the first layer by utilizing a controlled laser layer formation annealing process. A controlled laser crystallization process can be utilized and the controlled laser can include creating an amorphous layer; defining a crystallization area in the amorphous layer, where in the crystallization area is defined to promote single crystal growth (i.e. prevent multi-crystalline growth); and applying laser to the crystallization area, wherein the laser is applied in a manner that prevents undesired heat transfer to another layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Eunha Kim, Jeremy Wahl, Shenqing Fang, YouSeok Suh, Kuo-Tung Chang, Yi Ma, Rinji Sugino, Jean Yang
  • Patent number: 7989306
    Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods of forming semiconductor structures, and more particularly to structures and methods of forming SiGe and/or SiGeC buried layers for SOI/SiGe devices. An integrated structure includes discontinuous, buried layers having alternating Si and SiGe or SiGeC regions. The structure further includes isolation structures at an interface between the Si and SiGe or SiGeC regions to reduce defects between the alternating regions. Devices are associated with the Si and SiGe or SiGeC regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Xuefeng Liu, Robert M. Rassel, Steven H. Voldman
  • Patent number: 7951639
    Abstract: A growth method is proposed for high quality zinc oxide comprising the following steps: (1) growing a gallium nitride layer on a sapphire substrate around a temperature of 1000° C.; (2) patterning a SiO2 mask into stripes oriented in the gallium nitride <1 100> or <11 20> direction; (3) growing epitaxial lateral overgrowth of (ELO) gallium nitride layers by controlling the facet planes via choosing the growth temperature and the reactor; (4) depositing zinc oxide films on facets ELO gallium nitride templates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Zinc oxide crystal of high quality with a reduced number of crystal defects can be grown on a gallium nitride template. This method can be used to fabricate zinc oxide films with low dislocation density lower than 104/cm?2, which will find important applications in future electronic and optoelectronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: National University of Singapore
    Inventors: Soon Jin Chua, Hailong Zhou, Jianyi Lin, Hui Pan
  • Patent number: 7951659
    Abstract: A method of forming a microelectronic device comprising, on a same support: at least one semi-conductor zone strained according to a first strain, and at least one semi-conductor zone strained according to a second strain, different to the first strain, comprising: the formation of semi-conductor zones above a pre-strained layer, then trenches extending through the thickness of the pre-strained layer, the dimensions and the layout of the semi-conductor zones as a function of the layout and the dimensions of the trenches being so as to obtain semi-conductor zones having a strain of the same type as that of the pre-strained layer and semi-conductor zones having a strain of a different type to that of the pre-strained layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Younes Lamrani, Jean-Charles Barbe, Marek Kostrzewa
  • Patent number: 7906413
    Abstract: A structure and method of forming an abrupt doping profile is described incorporating a substrate, a first epitaxial layer of Ge less than the critical thickness having a P or As concentration greater than 5×1019 atoms/cc, and a second epitaxial layer having a change in concentration in its first 40 from the first layer of greater than 1×1019 P atoms/cc. Alternatively, a layer of SiGe having a Ge content greater than 0.5 may be selectively amorphized and recrystalized with respect to other layers in a layered structure. The invention overcomes the problem of forming abrupt phosphorus profiles in Si and SiGe layers or films in semiconductor structures such as CMOS, MODFET's, and HBT's.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Cardone, Jack Oon Chu, Khalid EzzEldin Ismail
  • Patent number: 7879697
    Abstract: Methods of growing Group-III nitride thin-film structures having reduced dislocation density are provided. Methods in accordance with the present invention comprise growing a Group-III nitride thin-film material while applying an ion flux and preferably while the substrate is stationary or non-rotating substrate. The ion flux is preferably applied as an ion beam at a glancing angle of incidence. Growth under these conditions creates a nanoscale surface corrugation having a characteristic features size, such as can be measured as a wavelength or surface roughness. After the surface corrugation is created, and preferably in the same growth reactor, the substrate is rotated in an ion flux which cause the surface corrugation to be reduced. The result of forming a surface corrugation and then subsequently reducing or removing the surface corrugation is the formation of a nanosculpted region and polished transition region that effectively filter dislocations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Philip I. Cohen, Bentao Cui
  • Patent number: 7875884
    Abstract: A hetero-crystalline device structure and a method of making the same include a first layer and a nanostructure integral to a crystallite in the first layer. The first layer is a non-single crystalline material. The nanostructure is a single crystalline material. The nanostructure is grown on the first layer integral to the crystallite using epitaxial growth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Kobayashi, Shih Yuan Wang
  • Patent number: 7863621
    Abstract: A thin film transistor includes a semiconductor layer formed on a polycrystalline silicon layer crystallized by a super grain silicon (SGS) crystallization method. The thin film transistor is patterned such that the semiconductor layer does not include a seed or a grain boundary created when forming the semiconductor layer on the polycrystalline silicon layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tae-Hoon Yang, Ki-Yong Lee, Jin-Wook Seo, Byoung-Keon Park
  • Patent number: 7842595
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an electronic-photonic device. Epitaxially depositing an n-doped III-V composite semiconductor alloy buffer layer on a crystalline surface of a substrate at a first temperature. Forming an active layer on the n-doped III-V epitaxial composite semiconductor alloy buffer layer at a second temperature, the active layer including a plurality of spheroid-shaped quantum dots. Depositing a p-doped III-V composite semiconductor alloy capping layer on the active layer at a third temperature. The second temperature is less than the first temperature and the third temperature. The active layer has a photoluminescence intensity emission peak in the telecommunication C-band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
    Inventors: Nick Sauer, Nils Weimann, Liming Zhang
  • Patent number: 7820501
    Abstract: Accordingly, in one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for reducing stacking faults in an epitaxial semiconductor layer. In accordance with such method, a substrate is provided which includes a first single-crystal semiconductor region including a first semiconductor material, the first semiconductor region having a <110> crystal orientation. An epitaxial layer including the first semiconductor material is grown on the first semiconductor region, the epitaxial layer having the <110> crystal orientation. The substrate is then annealed with the epitaxial layer at a temperature greater than 1100 degrees Celsius in an ambient including hydrogen, whereby the step of annealing reduces stacking faults in the epitaxial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, GlobalFoundries, Inc
    Inventors: Yun-Yu Wang, Christopher D. Sheraw, Anthony G. Domenicucci, Linda Black, Judson R. Holt, David M. Fried
  • Patent number: 7807523
    Abstract: By forming MOSFETs on a substrate having pre-existing ridges of semiconductor material (i.e., a “corrugated substrate”), the resolution limitations associated with conventional semiconductor manufacturing processes can be overcome, and high-performance, low-power transistors can be reliably and repeatably produced. Forming a corrugated substrate prior to actual device formation allows the ridges on the corrugated substrate to be created using high precision techniques that are not ordinarily suitable for device production. MOSFETs that subsequently incorporate the high-precision ridges into their channel regions will typically exhibit much more precise and less variable performance than similar MOSFETs formed using optical lithography-based techniques that cannot provide the same degree of patterning accuracy. A multi step epitaxial process can be used to extend the ridges with different dopant types, high mobility semiconductor, and or advanced multi-layer strutures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: SYNOPSYS, Inc.
    Inventors: Tsu Jae King Liu, Qiang Lu
  • Patent number: 7791103
    Abstract: A Group III nitride semiconductor substrate is formed of a Group III nitride single crystal, and has a diameter of not less than 25.4 mm and a thickness of not less than 150 ?m. The substrate satisfies that a ratio of ??/? is not more than 0.1, where ? is a thermal expansion coefficient calculated from a temperature change in outside dimension of the substrate, and ?? is a difference (???L) between the thermal expansion coefficient ? and a thermal expansion coefficient ?L calculated from a temperature change in lattice constant of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Cable, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuichi Oshima
  • Patent number: 7790581
    Abstract: A pair of semiconductor structures and a method for fabricating a semiconductor structure each utilize a semiconductor substrate having a first crystallographic orientation, and a dielectric layer located thereupon. The method provides for epitaxially growing a semiconductor layer on the semiconductor substrate to encapsulate the dielectric layer. The method also provides for patterning the semiconductor layer to yield a semiconductor structure that comprises a bulk semiconductor structure and a semiconductor-on-insulator structure, or alternatively a patterned semiconductor layer that straddles the dielectric layer and contacts the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Byeong Y. Kim, Xiaomeng Chen, Woo-Hyeong Lee, Huilong Zhu
  • Patent number: 7754587
    Abstract: A semiconductor process and apparatus provide a planarized hybrid substrate (16) by selectively depositing an epitaxial silicon layer (70) to fill a trench (96), and then blanket depositing silicon to cover the entire wafer with near uniform thickness of crystalline silicon (102) over the epi silicon layer (70) and polycrystalline silicon (101, 103) over the nitride mask layer (95). The polysilicon material (101, 103) added by the two-step process increases the polish rate of subsequent CMP polishing to provide a more uniform polish surface (100) over the entire wafer surface, regardless of variations in structure widths and device densities. By forming first gate electrodes (151) over a first SOI layer (90) using deposited (100) silicon and forming second gate electrodes (161) over an epitaxially grown (110) silicon layer (70), a high performance CMOS device is obtained which includes high-k metal PMOS gate electrodes (161) having improved hole mobility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory S. Spencer, Peter J. Beckage, Mariam G. Sadaka
  • Patent number: 7696032
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of fabricating a semiconductor device having a crystalline semiconductor layer includes preparing a semiconductor substrate and forming a preliminary active pattern on the semiconductor substrate. The preliminary active pattern includes a barrier pattern and a non-single crystal semiconductor pattern. A sacrificial non-single crystal semiconductor layer covers the preliminary active pattern and the semiconductor substrate. By crystallizing the sacrificial non-single crystal semiconductor layer and the non-single crystal semiconductor pattern, using the semiconductor substrate as a seed layer, the sacrificial non-single crystal semiconductor layer and the non-single crystal semiconductor pattern are changed to a sacrificial crystalline semiconductor layer and a crystalline semiconductor pattern, respectively. The crystalline semiconductor pattern and the barrier pattern constitute an active pattern. The sacrificial crystalline semiconductor layer is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Min Kim, Eun-Jung Yun
  • Patent number: 7662704
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes: a substrate; a plurality of pixel units provided in a display region on the substrate; and a driving circuit that is provided in a peripheral region surrounding the display region and includes semiconductor elements that drive the plurality of pixel units, each of the semiconductor elements having a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer has an SOI (silicon on insulator) structure including a first single crystal silicon layer, and the second semiconductor layer is formed of a second single crystal silicon layer that is formed on the first semiconductor layer by epitaxial growth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiro Yasukawa
  • Patent number: 7648889
    Abstract: A production method for devices includes: a bonding process for placing circuit surfaces of other divided plural semiconductor chips onto circuit surfaces of semiconductor chips of a wafer and bonding the other semiconductor chips to the semiconductor chips of the wafer; and a semiconductor chip grinding process for grinding rear surfaces of the other semiconductor chips by a grinding apparatus while the wafer is held such that the rear surface of the wafer faces a chuck table of the grinding apparatus. The production method further includes a resin filling process for filling a resin on the surface of the wafer so that a surface of the resin corresponds with the rear surfaces of the other semiconductor chips; and a wafer grinding process for grinding the rear surface of the wafer by a grinding apparatus while the wafer is held such that the surface of the wafer on which the resin is filled faces a chuck table of the grinding apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Disco Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuma Sekiya